CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. – A public meeting is set for this Tuesday regarding a possible bike path that could eventually connect to paths in Martinsburg.
The Hagerstown/Eastern Panhandle Metropolitan Planning Organization (HEPMPO) is hosting the public workshop on the “WV Route 9 Bicycle Path Connectivity Plan” December 16th from 6:00-7:30pm in the Jefferson County Commission Meeting Room, 393 North Lawrence Street in Charles Town.
The workshop and survey seek public input identifying potential routes, areas of concern and points of interest regarding the potential extension of the WV Route 9 Bicycle Path from its current terminus at Currie Road to the Charles Town Skate Park.
Matt Mullenax is the director of HEPMPO. He was a recent guest on Panhandle Live and talked about the plans up for consideration.
“We’ll have maps. We were able to work with the city of Ranson and the city of Charles Town.
“One of the nice things about this build grant is you can seek funding not only for construction, but also for planning, engineering, environmental work. And since we’re in such an early stage, we would be seeking (funding) for engineering.
Mullenax says there are 16 to 18 proposed developments in various stages in between where the bike path ends and “where we want to get to at Charles Town Skate Park.”
“The two major challenges that you have to overcome if you look at a map or an aerial of that is how do you get over the Norfolk Southern railroad line, and then how do you get in or around?
As to how you get over a railroad, “So you either use what’s there, go at grade, above or under, right?”
“So what’s interesting is that when if you look at where the bike path ends and where we want to go, there’s only one road that doesn’t cross a railroad.”
As to the railroad crossings, “Some of the crossings that exist on either Mildred St. or a couple other locations maybe are less desirable because of the geometry, right? They’re not perpendicular. Traffic (would) come up, drop down. So in some areas you can go over or under, but that’s we’ve had some initial discussions with Norfolk Southern,” he says. “They have a very specific set of rules that you have to follow when you develop public projects.”
Other challenges could be the four-lane divided highway that is the new Route 9.
He says planners are “trying to work with the public and plan for the best way to connect where the Route 9 bike path ends near Curry Road down into Ranson and Charles Town.”
He says the idea for an extended bike trail was one of the top recommendations in the 2023 regional bicycle and pedestrian plan.
“Our hope is to be able to maximize existing right of way to the fullest extent possible in making this connection,” Mullenax says.
“There may be some times that we would have to talk or work with willing property owners on trying to figure out a way to to make this connection and to have a path that would be as similar to what exists there right now”
“It’s roughly a 10- to 12- foot wide asphalt path,” he says, describing the size of the path that could wind through existing right of ways or depend on the cooperation of property owners, depending on which path is chosen.
In the end, Mullenax and planners are hoping to create “a path that bikes, strollers, pedestrians, everybody can use.” They are hoping for the public’s input.
“The feedback we get from the public is going to lead to creating something similar to what’s happening in the city of Martinsburg right now, with their Greenway Trail connecting where the Rt. 9 bike path ends near the jail, then through town connecting the Frog Hollow and then on to War Memorial Park,” Mullenax says.
“We would want to be sure that that is the preferred alternative the public would have before pursuing trying to get something like that.
Mullenax says the plan could “combine recreational, transportation, and active transportation. So those that might not have a vehicle or may not choose to have a vehicle. They’ll be able bike or walk to where they shop, have medical appointments.”
He’s hoping the public comments on the proposals will give them “a clear direction that that we could head.”
Some of those ideas involve using plans that came from previous studies including following Curry Road along Mildred Street, using the existing Rt. 9, getting to Fairfax Crossing, going across Route 9 and then taking Fairfax Blvd. or coming in behind Potomac Marketplace through Briar Run, picking up Flowing Springs and taking that into town. “So there are some options,” Mullenax says of the various layouts.
“We hope to present several to the public, get their feedback, see if there’s anything that we missed, and try to find those ones that have insurmountable obstacles and talk about why that is from either a planning or engineering perspective,” adding it may not be possible to take a particular route, “but there’s a lot of different ways you could make that connection in theory.” 
“We’ve had a lot of strong interest already from some folks that are part of a study committee that we’ve we’ve had some initial outreach with and everyone seems to be very interested in this idea,” Mullenax says.
Questions and all written comments should be directed to Matt Mullenax at 240-313-2081, [email protected] or mailed to the HEPMPO office at 33 W. Washington St., Suite 402, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Only written comments will be accepted.
A public survey will also be open from December 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026. The survey is available online.
